3 Game Essentials | Kraken (29-15-5) at Islanders (26-22-5) | 4:30 p.m.

Time: 4:30 p.m. PT | Watch: ROOT SPORTS | Listen: 93.3 KJR
##### One: Pick Up Where You Left Off
January was a successful month for the Kraken who earned an 11-3-1 record against a challenging schedule. But, after a well-deserved eight-day break thanks to the NHL bye week and All-Star celebrations, there's no more time to take off. Going into Monday's games, Seattle sits atop the Pacific division but only three points separate the top four teams in the division. Add in that historically, teams need some time to regain their game legs after extended time off the ice, and Tuesday's start will be an important one. The Kraken will be facing a team in the second game of a back-to-back, but the Islanders will have the advantage of that "shake off the rust" game already being behind them. It will also be the home debut for the newest Islander player, Bo Horvat who joins New York after a trade from Vancouver in the midst of a career-high 3.18 point per game pace heading into action Monday night.

##### Two: Depth Persists and Health Returns
A bye week gives a team time to rest both mentally and physically and a sign of how helpful that was showed in the return of Matty Beniers, Jaden Schwartz, and Justin Schultz to Monday's practice. All three have been key players for the Kraken this season and had missed recent games due to injury.
There's no guarantee all three will play versus the Islanders. Dave Hakstol told Sound of Hockey's Darren Brown on Monday that there were no decisions yet on which - if any - of the three would play. But even if they do, the depth of the team has once again proven to be able to come through and that showed in Monday's practice lines. There were
some changes in the top six forward groupings
. And, while Schultz was back, in practice, Hakstol elected to keep the pairing of Jamie Oleksiak and Will Borgen together citing their strong work together over recent games. The versatility and depth of this roster has continued to provide options and results.

##### Three: Fresh New Face
There aren't just returning players getting added to the Seattle roster. Monday the team welcomed defender, Jaycob Megna to their group
via a trade with San Jose
(Megna wear 44 for the mighty Kraken). Megna brings size (6-foot-6 puts the newcomer within one inch of Kraken blueliner, Jamie Oleksiak) as well as experience setting up his team to generate offense. Most of Megna's minutes with the Sharks this season were spent alongside Erik Karlsson who leads all NHL blueliners in goals (16) and points (66). Megna may not draw into Seattle's lineup right away as he gets more comfortable with the team's systems, but he provides essential depth. And don't forget, another player who joined the team mid-season, Eeli Tolvanen waited seven games to make his Kraken debut after joining the team and he's stepped up in a big way (8-2-10, 15 GP) ever since.